Jack assembly

ABSTRACT

An improved jack assembly for use with a trailer tongue of a towed vehicle. The jack assembly including telescoping height adjustment of the assembly, a pivot assembly for pivoting between a vertical and horizontal stowed position, and a clip for maintaining a handle assembly in a stowed position when not in use. The jack assembly also includes the use of bushings for the telescoping tubes to enhance the sliding movement between the tubes and aid in maintaining the axial alignment of the tubes thereby extending the life of the jack assembly. The pivot assembly further includes an attachment bracket that may be rotated to accommodate at least two different sizes of trailer tongues.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/218,515, entitled “Jack Assembly,” filed on Jul. 16, 2008, whichclaims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/959,718,entitled “Jack Assembly,” filed on Jul. 16, 2007, both of which arehereby incorporated in their entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to jack assemblies and, moreparticularly, to improvements to jack assemblies.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Jacks and jack assemblies have long been used with towing trailers.Typically, a jack assembly is secured to a towing trailer and assists instabilizing a towing trailer while the trailer is detached from a towingvehicle. In addition, a jack assembly often assists in engaging a towingtrailer with a towing vehicle or disengaging a towing trailer from atowing vehicle. A jack assembly may be utilized to maintain a towingtrailer in a level position when the trailer is disengaged from a towingvehicle by elevate one end of the trailer off the ground. A jackassembly may also be utilized to change the vertical position or heightof the tongue of a trailer as the tongue is mounted onto or dismountedfrom the hitch of a towing vehicle. Such jack assemblies are commonlypivotally mounted onto the trailer tongue so as to be pivotally moveablebetween a vertical position and a horizontal position. The horizontalposition often allows the jack assembly to be stowed when the jackassembly is not in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to a jack assembly for a towed vehicle.The jack assembly may include an inner tube and an outer tube, where theouter tube is capable of telescopic movement along the inner tube. Theouter tube may include a slot that runs the length of the outer tube.The jack assembly may also include a bushing that may be positionedbetween the inner tube and the outer tube such that a portion of thebushing is positioned between the tubes so that the tubes do not touchone another. In addition, the jack assembly may include a jackscrew, agear housing, handle assembly, a pivot assembly, and a wheel assembly.The jackscrew may be located within the inner tube that is operativelyconnected to a jack nut that is attached to the bushing. The gearassembly may be located adjacent the upper tend of the inner tube orouter tube. The handle assembly may be connected to the gear housing,where rotation of the handle assembly causes the outer tube to movetelescopically along the inner tube. The pivot assembly may be slidablyconnected to the outer tube by a slide block that is rotatably connectedto a pivot block, where the pivot assembly also includes a pivot housingand an attachment bracket for mounting to a trailer tongue.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Operation of the invention may be better understood by reference to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the followingillustrations, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a jackassembly with a dual wheel caster assembly.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an embodiment of a jackassembly with a single wheel caster assembly.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of an embodiment of a jack assemblywith a dual wheel caster assembly.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a jack assembly with asingle wheel caster assembly.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an outer tube of a jackassembly.

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an inner tube of a jackassembly.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an inner tube positionedwithin an outer tube of a jack assembly.

FIG. 8A illustrates a perspective view of an outer tube bushing of ajack assembly.

FIG. 8B illustrates a topside view of an outer tube bushing of a jackassembly.

FIG. 9A illustrates a perspective view of an inner tube bushing of ajack assembly.

FIG. 9B illustrates a topside view of an outer tube bushing of a jackassembly.

FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of a jack assembly attached tothe tongue of a towing trailer with the jack assembly in the stowedposition.

FIG. 11 illustrates a perspective view of a jack assembly attached tothe tongue of a towing trailer with the jack assembly in an operationalposition.

FIG. 12 illustrates a partial perspective view of a jack assemblyattached to the tongue of a towing trailer with the jack assembly in anoperational position.

FIG. 13 illustrates a side view of a jack assembly.

FIG. 14 illustrates a perspective view of a jack assembly.

FIG. 15 illustrates a schematic view of an attachment bracket of a jackassembly.

FIG. 16 illustrates a perspective view of a jack assembly welded to atongue of a towing trailer.

FIG. 17 illustrates a front view of a jack assembly.

FIG. 18 illustrates a perspective view of a handle assembly of a jackassembly.

FIG. 19 illustrates a perspective view of a dual wheel caster assemblyof a jack assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While the present invention is described with reference to embodimentsdescribed herein, it should be clear that the present invention shouldnot be limited to such embodiments. Therefore, the description of theembodiments herein is only illustrative of the present invention andshould not limit the scope of the invention as claimed.

FIGS. 1 through 19 illustrate jack assemblies that include a number ofnovel improvements over jack assemblies currently known in the art. Forexample, FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplaryembodiment of a jack assembly 10. The jack assembly 10 includes a dualwheel caster assembly 12, an outer tube 14, an inner tube 16, a handleassembly 18, and a pivot assembly 20. FIG. 2 illustrates anotherexemplary embodiment of a jack assembly 22. The embodiment illustratedin FIG. 2 is substantially similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG.1, with the exception of the jack assembly 22 including a single wheelcaster assembly 24 in place of a dual wheel caster assembly 12.Throughout this detailed description, reference will be made to jackassemblies 10, 22. With the exception of the caster assemblies 12, 24,the descriptions of the components and functionality of jack assembliesapply equally to jack assemblies 10 with dual wheel caster assemblies 12and jack assemblies 22 with single wheel caster assemblies 24.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of the jack assembly 10 with a dualwheel caster assembly 12. The jack assembly 10 is arranged such that theinner tube 16 is assembled at least partially within the outer tube 14,and the outer tube 14 is capable of telescopic movement along the innertube 16. Generally, telescopic movement of the outer tube 14 relative tothe inner tube 16 allows for adjustment of the height of the jackassembly 10. Typically, a user of the jack assembly 10 may want to alterthe height of the jack assembly 10 to support a detached trailer in alevel position. A user may also want to adjust the height of the jackassembly 10 to facilitate mounting and dismounting of a trailer to atowing vehicle.

The jack assembly 10 may be arranged such that the height of the jackassembly 10 may be increased or decreased either manually orautomatically. In one embodiment, the handle assembly 18 is arrangedsuch that the rotation of the handle assembly 18 causes the outer tube14 to move telescopically along the inner tube 16.

To facilitate relative movement of the outer tube 14 and inner tube 16,a bushing may be positioned between the tubes 14, 16. In one embodiment,an outer tube bushing 26 may be secured to a lower end 28 of the outertube 14 such that a portion of the bushing 26 is positioned between thetubes 14, 16 to prevent direct contact between the tubes 14, 16. Inanother embodiment, an inner tube bushing 30 may be secured to an upperend 32 of the inner tube 16 such that a portion of the bushing 30 ispositioned between the tubes 14, 16 to prevent direct contact betweenthe tubes 14, 16. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat a bushing may be secured to an upper end 34 of the outer tube 14 orsecured to a lower end 36 of the inner tube 16 to prevent direct contactof the tubes 14, 16.

It will also be appreciated that a plurality of bushings may be securedto the tubes 14, 16 to prevent direct contact between the tubes 14, 16and to facilitate relative movement of the tubes 14, 16. In oneembodiment (as best seen in FIG. 4), an outer tube bushing 26 is securedto the lower end 28 of the outer tube 14 and an inner tube bushing 30 issecured to the upper end 32 of the inner tube 16. The outer tube bushing26 includes an opening 37 to accommodate the inner tube 16 so that theinner tube 16 may be assembled within the outer tube 14. In such anembodiment, the bushings 26, 30 are arranged so as to be in contact withthe tubes 14, 16 such that the tubes 14, 16 do not directly contact eachother while experiencing relative movement.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the outer tube 14; FIG. 6illustrates a cross-sectional view of the inner tube 16; FIG. 7illustrates a cross-sectional view of the inner tube 16 assembled withinthe outer tube 14; FIG. 8A illustrates a perspective view of an outertube bushing 26; FIG. 8B illustrates a topside view of an outer tubebushing 26; FIG. 9A illustrates a perspective view of an inner tubebushing 30; and FIG. 9B illustrates a topside view of an inner tubebushing 30. As best seen in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the outer tube 14includes a passage or chamber 38 shaped and sized to accept the innertube 16 and to allow the inner tube 16 and outer tube 14 to sliderelative to each other. The outer tube 14 and inner tube 16 include aplurality of apertures 40 that run the length of the tubes 14, 16 (asbest seen in FIG. 4). Optionally, apertures may be limited to the endsof the tubes 14, 16. The apertures 40 are sized and shaped toaccommodate fasteners such as screws, bolts, rivets, and the like. Inone embodiment, the apertures 40 are bosses formed by a process ofextruding the tubes 14, 16.

As best seen in FIGS. 8A, 8B, 9A, and 9B, the bushings 26, 30 may bearranged to also include apertures 42. The apertures 42 of the outertube bushing 26 may be arranged to coincide with the apertures 40 of theouter tube 14. Similarly, the apertures 42 of the inner tube bushing 30may be arranged to coincide with the apertures 40 of the inner tube 16.In such arrangements, fasteners 44, such as screws, may be passedthrough the bushing apertures 42 and secured in the tube apertures 40 tosecure an outer tube bushing 26 to an outer tube 14 or to secure aninner tube bushing 30 to an inner tube 16. As best seen in FIG. 4,securing a bushing 26, 30 to a tube 14, 16 in such a manner results in aportion 26A of the outer tube bushing 26 or a portion 30A of the innertube bushing 30A being positioned between the outer 14 and inner tubes16. Such positioning prevents direct contact between the tubes 14, 16 asthe tubes 14, 16 move relative to each other. As will be subsequentlydescribed, such positioning of the bushings 26, 30 facilitates enhancedsliding movement between the tubes 14, 16.

In one embodiment, securing the bushings 26, 30 to the tubes 14, 16assists in maintaining axial alignment of the tubes 14, 16. Alignmentmay be maintained by minimizing the tolerance or play between thebushings 26, 30 and the tubes 14, 16. Maintaining axial alignment of thetubes 14, 16 may limit or prevent binding or galling of the tubes 14, 16as they move relative to one another. Preventing or limiting galling ofthe tubes 14, 16, in turn, prevents or limits damage to any coating orfinish applied to the surface of the tubes 14, 16. In addition,maintaining alignment of the tubes 14, 16 reduces the mechanical effortneeded to slide the tubes 14, 16 relative to one another. Such areduction in mechanical effort results in a jack assembly 10 that iseasier to operate and also limits wear and tear on mechanical componentswithin the jack assembly 10.

As previously described, the handle assembly 18 may be arranged suchthat rotation of the handle assembly 18 causes the outer tube 14 to moverelative to the inner tube 16. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the handleassembly 18 is generally coupled to a mechanism that rotates a jackscrew46 as the handle assembly 18 is rotated. A jack nut 48 is positioned onthe jackscrew 46 and is in contact with either the outer or inner tube14, 16. As the jackscrew 46 rotates, the jack nut 48 moves along thejackscrew 46 to facilitate the sliding or moving of the outer tube 14relative to the inner tube 16. The axial alignment of the tubes 14, 16,which may be maintained by the bushings 26, 30, also prevents or limitsbinding or galling of the jackscrew 46 and jack nut 48. In addition,maintaining axial alignment also limits or prevents galling of the tubes14, 16 by either the jackscrew 46 or the jack nut 48. The elimination ofgalling by the jackscrew 46 and the jack nut 48 and the reduction ofmechanical effort needed to move the jack assembly 10 generally resultsin an extended service life for the jackscrew 46 and nut 48, as well asan extended service life of a number of other mechanical components ofthe jack assembly 10.

In securing a bushing 26, 30 to an end of a tube 14, 16, the bushing 26,30 may serve to cover any sharp edges of the tube ends. The tubes 14, 16may be manufactured or fabricated from metals, such as aluminum, steel,and the like. The tubes 14, 16 may be manufactured or fabricated by avariety of processes, such as extrusion, casting, forging, and the like.Such processes may result in sharp or burred edges that may necessitatepost-fabrication processes to deburr or dull the edges. The bushings 26,30 are arranged such that, once they are secured to an end of a tube 14,16, the bushing 26, 30 covers any sharp edges, burrs, or other featuresthat may cause damage to the jack assembly 10 of other articles near thejack assembly 10, thus eliminating post-fabrication operations andreducing manufacturing costs.

In one embodiment, the bushings 26, 30 are manufactured or fabricatedfrom a plastic or other such polymeric material. For example, thebushings 26, 30 may be fabricated using a glass-reinforced nylon. Inanother example, the bushings 26, 30 may be fabricated using apolyoxymethylene or other such polyacetal. The bushings 26, 30 may bemolded and secured to the tubes 14, 16 with fasteners 44 as describedabove or, in one alternative, the bushings 26, 30 may be over-moldeddirectly to the ends of the tubes 14, 16.

In addition to the bushings 26, 30, other components or objects may besecured to the ends of the outer or inner tubes 14, 16 by passingfasteners 44 through the components and securing the fasteners 44 to theapertures 40 of the tubes 14, 16. In one exemplary embodiment, best seenin FIGS. 3 and 4, a gear housing 50 may be secured to an upper end 34 ofthe outer tube 14. In another exemplary embodiment, a yoke retainer 52may be secured to the lower end 36 of an inner tube 16. Such versatilityof the apertures or bosses 40 of the inner and outer tubes 14, 16results in reduced manufacturing and redesign costs, along with morereliable and robust end products.

In an embodiment, the outer tube bushing 26 is arranged to reinforce thelower end 36 of the inner tube 16 during side loading. Under certainconditions, the jack assembly 10 may experience side loads as itvertically supports a towing trailer. When the outer tube bushing 26 issecured with four screws 44 to the lower end 28 of the outer tube 14,and the opening 37 though the bushing 26 leaves little tolerance betweenthe bushing 26 and the inner tube 16, the bushing 26 provides astabilizing force to reinforce the inner tube 14 to counteract sideloads. Fabricating the bushing 26 using rigid material, such asglass-reinforced nylon and the like, may enhance the stability of andreinforce the inner tube 16. It will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art that such arrangements also stabilize and reinforcethe outer tube 14 during side loading. It also will be readilyunderstood that the inner tube bushing 30 may also be arranged toenhance the stability of and reinforce the tubes 14, 16 during sideloading.

The adjustable pivot assembly 20 performs a number of functions for thejack assembly 10. For example, the pivot assembly 20 may be used tosecure the assembly 10 to a trailer tongue 53 or similar member. As willbe subsequently described in detail, the pivot assembly 20 may bedesigned to accommodate multiple sizes of trailer tongues. In anotherembodiment, the adjustable pivot assembly 20 may be arranged to allowthe jack assembly 10 to pivot between vertical and horizontal positionsonce the assembly 10 is secured to a trailer tongue 53.

As best seen in FIGS. 3, 10, 11, and 12, the adjustable pivot assembly20 generally includes an attachment bracket 54, a pivot housing 56, apivot block 58, and a slide block 60. The pivot block 58 and the slideblock 60 may be arranged so as to secure the pivot assembly 20 to theouter tube 14. The attachment bracket 54 and the pivot housing 56 may bearranged so as to secure a jack assembly 10 to a tongue 53 of a towingtrailer.

As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 7, the outer tube 14 includes a slot 62 thatruns the length of the tube 14. The slot 62 is sized and shaped to allowthe slide block 60 to slide along the slot 62. While the slide block 60is located in the slot 62, the pivot block 58 may be positioned alongthe outside of the slot 62 and secured to the slide block 60 so as tosecure the blocks 58, 60 together at a given position along the slot 62.The blocks 58, 60 may be secured together by fasteners 64 passing thoughapertures 66 in the slide block 60 and apertures 68 in the pivot block58. In one embodiment, the fasteners 64 may include bolts and nuts, withthe bolts passing through the apertures 66, 68 and being secured withthe nuts. As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 7, the slot 62 in the outer tube14 includes an opening 70 that allows fasteners 64 to pass though theouter tube 14 when the fasteners 64 are securing the pivot block 58 tothe slide block 60. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the artthat, as the nuts are tightened onto the bolts, the pivot block 58 andslide block 60 are drawn together, and a clamping force is applied tothe walls of the outer tube 14 such as to allow the blocks 58, 60 tomaintain their position along the length of the outer tube 14. It alsowill be appreciated that the example of bolts and nuts is exemplaryonly, and the pivot block 58 may be secured to the slide block 60 usingmany combinations of fasteners such as rivets, screws, and the like.

The arrangement of the pivot block 58 and slide block 60 as describedabove allows the pivot assembly 20 to be adjusted along the length ofthe outer tube 14. Such adjustability allows for a versatile jackassembly 10, which may be used with and attached to a large variety oftowing trailers. In one exemplary embodiment, the total travel range ofthe pivot assembly 20 with respect to the outer tube 14 is eighteeninches. Such a large travel range allows a jack assembly 10 to beutilized or attached to towing trailers that are designed for passengerautomobiles, light trucks, heavy duty trucks, commercial trucks, etc. Inaddition to facilitating the use of a jack assembly 10 with a widevariety of towing trailers, the adjustability of the pivot assembly 20also allows for precise placement of the pivot assembly 20 with respectto each of these wide varieties of towing trailers. As the pivotassembly may be placed at any location along the outer tube 14, thelocation of the pivot assembly 20 is not limited to a few predeterminedfixed locations. Such versatility allows a user to position the heightof the pivot assembly 20 at an optimal height for each towing trailer.This adjustability also allows the jack assembly to be remounted tonumerous towing trailers throughout its service life.

As previously described, the attachment bracket 54 and the pivot housing56 may be arranged to secure a jack assembly 10 to a tongue 53 of atrailer. In one embodiment, the pivot housing 56 is coupled to the pivotblock 58. As best seen in FIGS. 13 and 14, the pivot housing 56 may bearranged so as to enclose or conceal all internal mechanics used topivot the jack assembly 10 such as, for example, springs, clips, pins,etc. In one embodiment, the pivot housing 56 is a single cast componentthat encloses the internal pivot mechanics. The pivot housing 56 isarranged such that it may rotate relative to the pivot block 58 about apivot axis 57. A pull pin 72 is coupled to the pivot housing 56 and isarranged to selectively lock the position of the housing 56 relative tothe pivot block 58. Providing a single cast pivot housing 56 maintainsthe aesthetic continuity of the jack assembly 10 and creates anergonomic system. An aperture 74 formed during the casting of the pivothousing 56 may be utilized for the pull pin 72 that is used to lock andunlock the position of the housing 56 relative to the pivot block 58.The housing 56 may be cast from steel, aluminum, or the like. The pivotpin 72 may be fabricated from high carbon steel to provide a strong andreliable pivot assembly 20. Fabricating a large diameter cast pivotblock 58 may also enhance the strength and reliability of the pivotassembly 20. The cast pivot block 58 may be cast from steel, aluminum,or the like.

The attachment bracket 54 includes a plurality of apertures 76, and thepivot housing 56 includes a plurality of apertures 78. The plurality ofattachment bracket apertures 76 are arranged to align with the pluralityof pivot housing apertures 78. As best seen in FIGS. 10, 11, and 12, theattachment bracket 54 may be positioned on one side of a towing tongue53, and the pivot housing 56 may be positioned on the opposite side ofthe towing tongue 53. The apertures 76, 78 may be positioned so as toalign such that fasteners 80 may be passed through the apertures 76, 78to secure the attachment bracket 54 to the pivot housing 56. Thefasteners 80 may be, for example, bolts and nuts, rivets, or the like.It will be readily understood that, as the attachment bracket 54 issecured to the pivot housing 56, the pivot assembly 20 and the jackassembly 10 are secured to the trailer tongue 53 (as best seen in FIGS.10, 11, and 12). It also will be understood that, as the fasteners 80are tightened, the attachment bracket 54 and the pivot housing 56 aredrawn together to produce a clamping force on the trailer tongue 53 andto secure the pivot assembly 20 to the trailer tongue 53.

The attachment bracket 54, as schematically illustrated in FIG. 15, isarranged to attach to a variety of trailer tongues. As may be seen fromthe arrangement of the apertures 76, the attachment bracket 54 mayaccommodate tongues of at least two different heights. The attachmentbracket 54 may be secured to a tongue that has a height of X (as seen inFIG. 15) or may be rotated ninety degrees to accommodate a tongue thatis the height of Y (also as seen in FIG. 15). In one embodiment, theattachment bracket 54 is arranged such that X is equal to three inchesand Y is equal to four inches. In such an arrangement, fasteners 80 thatare passed through the apertures 76 contact the sides of a trailertongue 53, which are either three inches of four inches in height, tofurther enhance the attachment of the pivot assembly 20 to the trailertongue 53. In one embodiment, the pivot assembly 20 may be arranged toaccommodate a four-inch trailer tongue in a first position and may berotated ninety degrees to accommodate a three-inch trailer tongue.

It will be appreciated that, in one embodiment, the pivot housing 56 maybe arranged such that the pivot pin 72 rotates as the jack assembly 10is moved from a vertical position to a horizontal stowed position. Suchan arrangement would provide a user with an ergonomic access to the pullpin 72 in both the vertical and stowed positions. In addition, thepositioning of the pull pin 72 creates an ergonomic arrangement bypositioning the pull pin 72 such that a user pulls upward when rotatingthe jack assembly 10 between the vertical and stowed positions.

In another embodiment of the jack assembly 10, as best seen in FIG. 16,the pivot housing 56 or the attachment bracket 54 may be utilized as aweld plate to weld the jack assembly 10 to a trailer tongue 53. Inanother embodiment, precision machining may form precise fits betweenmating parts. Such an arrangement minimizes movement in the pivotassembly 20, which generally increases the ease of use of the jackassembly 10, reduces wear and tear on components of the pivot assembly20, and increases the service life of the pivot assembly 20 and the jackassembly 10.

As previously described, a gear housing 50 may be secured to an end ofan outer tube 14 or an inner tube 16. In one embodiment, as best seen inFIGS. 3 and 4, a gear housing 50 is mounted or otherwise secured to theupper end 34 of the outer tube 14. Such a mounting eliminates the needfor weldments, drilling, piercing, crimping, or any other secondaryprocess to be carried out in the manufacture of the outer tube 14 tosecure the gear housing 50 to the jack assembly 10. In one embodiment,the base plate 82 of the gear housing 50 includes a plurality ofapertures. These apertures are arranged such that they align with theapertures or bosses 40 fabricated or extruded with the outer tube 14.The gear housing 50 may then be positioned on top of the outer tube 14,and fasteners 84 may be passed through the apertures in the base plate82 and into the bosses 40 in the outer tube 14 so as to secure the gearhousing 50 to the jack assembly 10.

In an embodiment, a gear housing cap 86 may be secured to the topportion of the gear housing 50 to form a sealed gearbox 87. The gearhousing 50 may include apertures or extruded bosses 88 similar to thosedescribed for the outer and inner tubes 14, 16, and the gear-housing cap86 may include a plurality of apertures 90. Similar to previousdescriptions, the apertures 90 in the gear-housing cap 86 may be alignedwith the bosses 88 of the gear housing 50. Fasteners 92, such as bolts,screws, rivets, and the like, may be passed through the apertures 90 andinto the bosses 88 so as to secure the cap 86 to the gear housing 50.

In such an arrangement, the gear housing 50 and gear housing cap 86 mayserve to maintain the aesthetic continuity of the jack assembly 10. Sucharrangements may also simplify components for manufacturability. Thebase plate 82 of the gear housing 50 may serve as a support plate forthe jackscrew 46 positioned within the jack assembly 10. Securing thegear housing 50 and gear-housing cap 86 with fasteners may specificallyadd strength, support, or rigidity to the coupling of the gear housing50 to the jack assembly 10, along with general adding strength, support,or rigidity to the jack assembly 10. By forming a sealed gearbox 87,grease may be held within the gearbox 87 and contaminants may be keptout of the gearbox 87. Such an arrangement reduces the need formaintenance of the gearbox 87 over the service life of the gearbox 87and increases the service life of the jack assembly 10 is generallyincreased. Specifically, a sealed gearbox 87 increases the service lifeof internal components positioned within the gearbox 87 such that theservice life of the jack assembly 10. The components of a gearbox 87,including the gear housing 50 and gear housing cap 86, may be fabricatedor otherwise manufactured from glass-filled nylon or other similarmaterial so as to increase the resistance to corrosion.

The use of fasteners 92 and apertures 88, 90 to secure the gear housing50 and gear housing cap 86 to the jack assembly 10 increases thealignment precision of the gearbox 87 and the remainder of the jackassembly 10. Such an increase in precision holds the gearbox 87,jackscrew 46, jack nut 48, tubes 14, 16, handle assembly 18, internalgears, and many other components, in alignment, which reduces wear oncomponents, increases efficiency, and increases the service life of thejack assembly 10. In addition, the embodiments as described eliminatethe need for additional machining of the gear housing 50 or the use ofbushings with the gear housing 50.

The handle assembly 18 engages with the gearbox 87 to raise and lowerthe jack assembly 10. As seen in FIGS. 3 and 18, the handle assembly 18includes a grip 94, a crank member 96, and a handle-assembly holder orclip 98. The crank member 96 engages the gears of the gearbox 87 (asseen in FIGS. 4, 13, and 14) to transform rotational motion of the crank96 into linear motion of the outer tube 14 so as to raise and lower thejack assembly 10. By way of a non-limiting example, the crank member 96may include a stem portion 97. The stem portion 97 may be inserted intothe gear housing 87 such that the stem portion 97 may engage the gearsof the gearbox 87. Moreover, the gearbox 87 may include an aperture 101and a blind bore 103 that may have a closed end at a wall of the gearbox87, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The aperture 101 and blind bore 103 maybe located on opposite walls of the gearbox 87 such that rotation of thehandle assembly 18 may transform rotational motion of the crank 96 intolinear motion of the outer tube 14. The stem portion 97 may be insertedthrough the aperture 101 and into the blind bore 103. In theseembodiments, the aperture 101 and the blind bore 103 may act as abushing during rotation of the handle assembly 18 such that additionalbearings may not be necessary as previously noted. When a user hasplaced the jack assembly 10 at the proper height or has placed the jackassembly 10 in a stowed position, the handle assembly 18 may be clampedor otherwise secured to the outer tube 14. Such an arrangement preventsthe handle assembly 18 from moving or changing the height of the jackassembly 10 when the jack assembly 10 is in the vertical position. Inaddition, such an arrangement prevents the handle assembly 18 fromdragging on the ground when the jack assembly 10 is in the stowedposition.

In one embodiment, the handle assembly 18 may be secured to the outertube 14 such that the crank 96 is parallel to the outer tube 14 when itis secured. In one embodiment, the handle assembly clip 98 is attachedto the crank 96 and arranged to engage the outer tube 14 such that itholds the handle crank 96, and thus the handle assembly 18, parallel tothe outer tube 14. The securing of the handle assembly 18 may befacilitated by including a hinge mount to fold the handle assembly 18out of the way when not in use, i.e., securing the handle assembly 18 tothe outer tube 14. In another embodiment, the handle assembly clip 98may be secured to the outer tube 14 and arranged to clip onto the crank96 as the handle assembly is folded towards the outer tube 14.

The handle assembly 18 may be arranged to include an operation positionand a stowed position. While in the operation position, the crank 96 andhandle-assembly clip 98 are positioned such that, when the handleassembly 18 is rotated to raise and or lower the jack assembly 10, thehandle-assembly clip 98 does not prevent the crank 96 from rotating.While in the stowed position, the handle-assembly clip 98 clamps to thecrank 96 and prevents the crank 96 from rotating.

The handle assembly 18 may also be arranged to enable a non-destructiveoverload bypass when the handle assembly 18 is improperly engaged ordisengaged in the stowed position. Such an arrangement may befacilitated by the use of flexible plastic or other such materials toform a handle assembly 18, particularly the handle assembly clip 98,with a generally flexible construction. The handle-assembly clip 98 mayalso include a lead-in member 100 that disengages the clip 98 when auser rotates the handle assembly 18 while the handle assembly 18 issecured to the outer tube 14, i.e., the handle assembly 18 is in thestowed position (as best seen in FIGS. 13 and 14).

In one embodiment, the jack assembly 10 includes a dual wheel casterassembly 12. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 19, the dual wheel casterassembly 12 includes a pair of wheels 102, a yoke 104, a pin 106, and ayoke retainer 52. The pair of wheels 102 are assembled to the yoke 104by the pin 106. The yoke 102 is coupled to the yoke retainer 52 by afastener 108. As previously discussed, the yoke retainer 52 may beattached to the lower end 36 of the inner tube 16 by passing a pluralityof fasteners 110 through apertures 112 in the yoke retainer 52 andsecuring those fasteners 110 into the bosses 40 of the inner tube 16. Inone embodiment, the arrangement of the dual wheel caster assembly 12 tothe inner tube 14 provides for the assembly 12 to swivel or rotate withrespect to the inner tube 14.

In one embodiment, each wheel 102 is arranged such that it rotatesindependently of the other wheel 102. Such an arrangement of the wheels102 minimizes friction as the assembly 12 swivels with respect to theremainder of the jack assembly 10. In addition, this arrangementmaximizes surface area contact between the ground (or other supportingsurface) and the wheels 102 while minimizing friction. In oneembodiment, the wheels 102 are seven-inch diameter rubber wheels. Toreduce or eliminate the need to lubricate the wheel assembly 12, largediameter nylon on stainless steel washer stalks may be used. Such largediameter washers may serve to reduce point loading by offering a greatersurface on which to distribute a load.

To further limit friction, the bearing surfaces above and below themounting surface of the yoke 104 and yoke retainer 52 may be integrated.The use of fasteners 110 to directly secure the wheel assembly 12 to theinner tube 16 results in the yoke retainer 52, jackscrew 46, jack nut48, inner tube 16, and outer tube 14 being generally held in goodalignment. Such good alignment decreases wear and tear on jack assembly10 components and increases the service life of the jack assembly 10. Inaddition, good alignment makes it easier to for a user to operate thejack assembly 10.

The dual wheel caster assembly 12 may be fabricated from aluminum,utilizing a die casting process. Such an arrangement provides for acorrosion-resistant assembly 12. To further provide corrosionprotection, components of the wheel assembly, along with all componentsof the jack assembly 10, may be coated with a dichromate coating.

The dual wheel caster assembly 12, as described, maintains the aestheticcontinuity of the jack assembly 10 because the attachment method, i.e.,using hidden fasteners 110 secured to internal bosses 40 in the innertube 16, eliminates the need for welds or fasteners that can be seenfrom outside the jack assembly 10. Such an arrangement provides astylized interface from the inner tube 16 to the yoke 104. In addition,the method of attachment of the wheel assembly 12 to the inner tube 16provides for the yoke retainer 52 to abut the lower end 36 of the innertube 16. Such abutment reduces or eliminates concerns over sharp edgesor burrs due to the manufacturing of the inner tube 16, thereforeeliminating post-manufacture processes to dull or deburr the edge of theinner tube 16.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 19, the wheels 102 are offset apredetermined distance from the centerline of the jack assembly 10. Suchan offset allows the wheels 102 to follow in the direction in which thejack assembly 10 is moving. In one example, such an arrangement mayfacilitate the moving of a towing trailer when the trailer is detachedfrom a towing vehicle and the jack assembly is utilized to support oneend of the trailer.

The dual wheel caster assembly 12 may further include a wheel wedge orbrake lever 114. The wheel wedge 114 is attached to the yoke 104 by apin 116. The wheel wedge 114 may be selectively positioned to secure thewheels 102 so as to deter rotation of the wheels 102 while the traileris stored or otherwise idle. The wheel wedge 114 includes a lockedposition and an unlocked position. In the locked position, the wheelwedge 114 is rotated downward into contact with the wheels 102. Thiscontact deters any rotation of the wheels 102. In the unlocked position,the wheel wedge 114 is rotated upwards and out of contact with thewheels 102, allowing the wheels 102 to rotate freely.

The wheel wedge 114 may be moved between the locked and unlockedposition by a user. In one example, the user may step on the wheel wedge114 to move it from the unlocked to the locked position. The user mayalso use his or her foot to kick or lift the wheel wedge 114 upward tomove the wedge 114 from the locked position to the unlocked position.Such an arrangement provides an easily utilized and cost effectivemechanism for locking and unlocking the wheels 102.

In another embodiment, best seen in FIGS. 2 and 11, a jack assembly 22is arranged with a single wheel caster assembly 24. The single wheelcaster assembly 24 includes a single wheel 118 and a yoke 120 arrangedto support a single wheel 118. The wheel 118 is attached to the jackassembly 22 similarly to the description of the attachment of the dualwheel caster assembly 12. The single wheel caster assembly 24 may alsoinclude a wheel wedge 114 that can be used to lock and unlock the wheel118.

The invention has been described above and, obviously, modifications andalterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding ofthis specification. The claims as follows are intended to include allmodifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope ofthe claims or the equivalent thereof.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:
 1. A jack assemblycomprising: a member; a gear mechanism; a handle operatively engagedwith the gear mechanism, the handle rotatable relative to the member;and a handle holder member attached with the handle, wherein the handleholder member is selectively engageable with the member to maintain thehandle in a stowed position.
 2. The jack assembly of claim 1, whereinthe member is a generally tubular member.
 3. The jack assembly of claim1, wherein the handle is axially positionable to and from first andsecond positions.
 4. The jack assembly of claim 3, wherein the handleholder member is configured to selectively engage the handle in thestowed position when the handle is axially positioned in the secondposition.
 5. The jack assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle holdermember is a clip.
 6. The jack assembly of claim 1, wherein the handleholder includes a load-in member whereby upon rotation of the handle theload-in member disengages the handle holder from the member.
 7. A jackassembly comprising: a first member, the first member having an endportion; a second member telescopingly engaged with the first member; amounting plate removably attached with the end portion of the firsttube; and a caster removably attachable to the mounting plate andpivotal with respect to the mounting plate.
 8. The jack assembly ofclaim 7, wherein the first member is an outer tube and the second memberis an inner tube.
 9. The jack assembly of claim 7, wherein the firstmember is an inner tube and the second member is an outer tube.
 10. Thejack assembly of claim 7, wherein the end portion of the first memberincludes at least one aperture formed therein.
 11. The jack assembly ofclaim 10, further comprising at least one fastener, the at least onefastener removably engaged with the at least one aperture removablyattaching the mounting plate with the first member.
 12. The jackassembly of claim 7, wherein the mounting plate includes an aperture.13. The jack assembly of claim 12, further comprising a fastener, atleast a portion of the fastener inserted through the aperture andselectively engaged with the caster assembly.
 14. The jack assembly ofclaim 7, wherein the first member includes a centerline and the casterassembly includes at least one caster wheel, whereby the at least onecaster wheel is offset from the centerline.
 15. The jack assembly ofclaim 14, wherein the caster includes a brake lever, the brake leverselectively engageable with the at least one wheel to deter rotation ofthe at least one wheel.
 16. A jack assembly comprising: a first memberhaving an end portion; a second member telescopingly engaged with thefirst member; a yoke retainer removably attached with the end portion ofthe first member; a fastener engaged with the yoke retainer; and a yokeselectively attached with the fastener selectively attaching the yokewith the yoke retainer.
 17. The jack assembly of claim 16, wherein thefirst member is an outer tube and the second member is an inner tube.18. The jack assembly of claim 16, wherein the first member is an innertube and the second member is an outer tube.
 19. The jack assembly ofclaim 16, wherein the inner member includes a plurality of bosses formedin the end portion.
 20. The jack assembly of claim 19, furthercomprising a plurality of fasteners removably engaged with the pluralityof bosses removably attaching the yolk retainer with the end portion ofthe first member.
 21. The jack assembly of claim 20, wherein thefasteners are positioned within the first member and hidden from view.22. The jack assembly of claim 18, further comprising a bearing surfacepositioned between the yoke and the yoke retainer.
 23. The jack assemblyof claim 22, wherein the bearing surface is integrated with either ofthe yoke and yoke retainer.
 24. The jack assembly of claim 18, whereinthe yoke is selectively attached with the first member free of welding.